BUSAN, South Korea (AP) 鈥� The world鈥檚 nations will a treaty this weekend to address the .
Their meeting concludes Sunday or early Monday in Busan, South Korea, where many environmental organizations have also flocked to push for a treaty to address the volume of production and toxic chemicals used in .
Greenpeace said it escalated its pressure Saturday by sending four international activists to Daesan, South Korea, who boarded a tanker headed into port to load chemicals used to make plastics.
Graham Forbes, who leads the Greenpeace delegation in Busan, said the action is meant to remind world leaders they have a clear choice: Deliver a treaty that protects people and the planet, or side with industry and sacrifice the health of every living person and future generations.
Here鈥檚 what to know about plastics:
Every year, the world produces more than 400 million tons of new plastic
The use of plastics has quadrupled over the past 30 years. Plastic is ubiquitous. And every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world鈥檚 oceans, rivers and lakes, . Most nations agreed to make the first global, legally binding plastic pollution accord, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024.
Plastic production could climb about 70% by 2040 without policy changes
The production and use of plastics globally is set to reach , according to the intergovernmental Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Panama is leading an effort to address the exponential growth of plastic production as part of the treaty, supported by more than 100 countries. There鈥檚 just too much plastic, said Juan Carlos Monterrey, head of Panama鈥檚 delegation.
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have production in this treaty, it is not only going to be horribly sad, but the treaty may as well be called the greenwashing recycling treaty, not the plastics treaty,鈥� he said in an interview. 鈥淏ecause the problem is not going to be fixed.鈥�
China, the United States and Germany are the biggest plastics players
China was by far the biggest exporter of plastic products in 2023, followed by Germany and the U.S., according to the Plastics Industry Association.
Together, the three nations account for 33% of the total global plastics trade, the association said.
The United States supports having an article in the treaty that addresses supply, or plastic production, a senior member of the U.S. delegation told The Associated Press Saturday.
Most plastic ends up as waste
Less than 10% of plastics are recycled. Most of the world鈥檚 plastic goes to landfills, pollutes the environment, or is burned.
Sarah Dunlop, head of plastics and human health at the Minderoo Foundation, said chemicals are leaching out of plastics and 鈥渕aking us sick.鈥�
The International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Plastics held an event about the impact of plastics Saturday on the sidelines of the talks. They want the treaty to fully recognize their rights, and the universal human right to a healthy, clean, safe and sustainable environment. Juan Mancias of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation in Texas spoke about feeling a spiritual connection to the land.
鈥淔ive hundred years ago, we had clean water, clean air and there was no plastics,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat happened?鈥�
Many plastics are used for packaging
About 40% of all plastics are used in packaging, according to the UN. This includes single-use plastic food and beverage containers 鈥� water bottles, takeout containers, coffee lids, straws and shopping bags 鈥� that often end up polluting the environment.
U.N. Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen told negotiators in Busan the treaty must tackle this problem.
鈥淎re there specific plastic items that we can live without, those that so often leak into the environment? Are there alternatives to these items? This is an issue we must agree on,鈥� she said.
___
The Associated Press鈥� climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP鈥檚 for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Jennifer Mcdermott, The Associated Press
